The Washington Post
Sunday, Jan. 8, 2006; Page E12-17

Best Return: Mark Jones almost single-handedly ignited the Tampa Bay offense early in the third quarter after it struggled in the first half. The wide receiver caught a 41-yard punt and returned it 24 yards, giving the Buccaneers the ball at the 49-yard line. Tampa Bay's offense, in turn, drove the short distance to score, narrowing Washington's lead to seven points.

Worst Letdown: During the first half, you almost had to feel sorry for those poor Tampa Bay fans. All that buildup. All that tailgating. All that beer . . . and for what? After the Redskins jumped ahead early, Buccaneers fans spent most of the first half sitting on their hands. Visiting fans from Washington actually sounded louder.

Best John Elway Impression: With his team desperate for a score in the third quarter, Chris Simms made like the Hall of Fame quarterback. He dived toward the goal line without regard for his personal safety. Simms started the play with a fake handoff and then took off to the left. He jumped over the corner of the end zone, completing a two-yard touchdown run that narrowed Washington's lead to seven.

Worst Penalty: The Redskins forced Tampa Bay's offense into what would have been a fourth and six late in the third quarter, but then Sean Taylor bailed out the Buccaneers. Taylor, the Redskins' best playmaker in the secondary, got in the face of Tampa Bay running back Michael Pittman and spit on him, according to the officials. Taylor was charged with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and ejected.

Best Bounce: When linebacker Marcus Washington fumbled during an interception return in the first quarter, he must have thought he had just wasted a great opportunity. Instead, Sean Taylor scooped up the ball and ran 51 yards for a touchdown, giving the Redskins a 14-0 lead that would be all they would need to win.

Worst Throw: With less than four minutes to play, quarterback Mark Brunell rolled left and scanned the field. Even with his team ahead by seven in the waning moments, Brunell attempted a difficult pass to well-covered wide receiver Taylor Jacobs. Cornerback Brian Kelly jumped in front of Jacobs and intercepted the pass.

Best Defense: The Redskins managed 120 yards of offense, but they really didn't need much to win their sixth consecutive game. That's because the defense played as well as it has all season, limiting the Buccaneers to 75 yards rushing and an average of three yards per carry. The Redskins also forced three turnovers, including a pair of interceptions on balls tipped at the line of scrimmage.

Worst Offense: Quarterback Mark Brunell threw for 41 yards. Clinton Portis managed 53 yards on 16 carries, ending his streak of consecutive 100-yard games at five. The Redskins' longest run was an 11-yard reverse to Santana Moss. Offensive production like that won't carry many teams far in the postseason.

Best Prop: In a typical playoff gimmick to get their home crowd in a frenzy, the Buccaneers placed a flag in the cup holder of every seat at Raymond James Stadium. The two-foot-long flags -- some red, some white -- featured the Tampa Bay logo in the middle. When fans stood and waved them, the stadium looked like a rocking, unified sea of red and white.

Scoreboard Promotion: The scoreboard repeatedly showed animations of pirate ships racing against each other. It seemed like a nice touch -- except that each pirate ship had been decorated by soft drink logos. It was, if nothing else, a unique blending of past and present.

Best Assist: Credit Redskins defensive tackle Joe Salave'a for setting up linebacker LaVar Arrington's first-quarter interception. Salave'a reached out and tipped a Chris Simms pass early in the quarter, and the ball landed right in Arrington's hands. After Arrington went down at the Buccaneers 6-yard line, he stood up and walked over to Salave'a -- hopefully to thank him.

Worst Trick Play: Tailback Clinton Portis has succeeded as a quarterback before, but in the first quarter, he showed why he's better fit to play running back. In Tampa Bay territory, Portis took a handoff and ran to his right looking to throw. Wide receiver Santana Moss broke wide open, but Portis short-armed the throw. A Buccaneers defender knocked it away.